Stump-burner.



V. H. PIGKENS.

STUMP BURNER.

APPLICATION FILED MAB..13, 1912.

Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

Wilma/omo VALETINE H. PICKENS, OF FLORALA, ALABAMA.

scruter-BURNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 13` 1912. Serial No. 683,486.

T all I'whom it may conce/'1i Be it known that l, VALENTINE l-l. PIoKnNs, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Flor-ala, in t-he county of Covington and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Stump-Burners, of which the tollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to stump burners, and its object is to provide a very simple and inexpensive device of this character adapted to maintain a hot tire at the base of a stump and beneath the ground, Without the employment of any kind of combustible oil, such as kerosene, gasolene or the like.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed dcscription4 which now follows.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a sectional view through the ground ad- Y iacent u stump to be removed, with the device in position. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the device, and Fig. 3 is a front elevation thereof.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, 5 designates a blast pipe and 6 designates a draft pipe. These pipes are preferably connected by lugs 7, though clamps or any other equivalent structure may be employed for this purpose, if desired. The blast pipe is likewise preferably. provided with a foot 8. Flanges 9 are formed upon the pipes and limit the downward movement of a ground plate 10. The pipes 5 and G are preferably substantially oval in cross section to adapt them to more readily enter a bored hole. In other words, the pipes are somewhat flattened to the pipes were round. The pipe lie more closely together from front to rear to thereby adapt them to enter .fz .smaller ein cular bored hole than woiili'l .2 l-ossible if 6 is preferably provided with a flaring or funnel like mouth 11. The structure so far described,

v and which structure comprises all of the essential features of the device, operates as l follows.

Patented oet. 8, 1912.'

`This brings the"A of air beneath the plate. It will, therefore,

be apparent that at this time the only draft to the tire will be through pipe 5 and the only escape for the products of combustion will be through pipe 6. The heated air passes rapidly through pipe G and creates a down Vdraft in blast pipe 5. This down draft blows the fire to such an extent as to keep it up and to cause the fire to eat its way rapi 1y into the stump. The plate 10 is slidably mounted on pipes 5 and 6 and this plate in conjunction with foot S maintains the structure in position while permitting downward movement of the pipes with relation to the plate if a slight caving of the earth upon which foot 8 rests should occur under the action of the re.

If desired, I may employ an extension for the draft pipe, said extension being in'dcated at 14. This extension increases the draft, as will be readily understood. The invention also contemplates the employment of a damper 15 upon the blast pipe. These latter features, however, are merely auxiliaries and may or'may not be employed, the essential features of the invention residing broadly in the employment of the draft and blast pipes. Since no fuel such as kerosene or like combustible oil is employed in connection with this device, and since the fire after it has once been started will continue to burn until the stump is consumed, it follows that one man can remove a large number of stumps by employing a number of these stump burners. These stump burners are so simply and cheaply made that it is possible for persons of moderate means to use a large number of them simultaneously. With this in mind, it will be seen that any one can go yfrom stump to stump setting one of these stump burners at each stump and leaving them in place as long as may be necessary to complete the destruction of the stump. These stump burners are preferably made of cast iron and will last indefinitely. lll/There comparatively small stumps are to be removed, the stump burners set on one day can be taken up the next day and reset at other stumps.

A further advantage of this structure is that rain has practically no effect upon the proper operation of the device since the fire is entirely under ground. It is possible to burn out stumps in a corn field without injuring theV adjacent-corn, since the products of combustion pass out through the draft the scope of the appended claims.

' of said plate, ing adapted to cover and close a hole in the 3o.

,disposed below the lower .end of the Having described my invention, what I claim is 2- l. In a device of the uharacter described, the combination vwith a blast pipe, of a draft pipe, the lower end of said blast pipe being draft pipe, a dirt supporting plate through which said vpipes pass, and flanges carried by said pipes for limiting the downward movement said dirt supporting plate beound when said pipes are inserted therein. 2. In aI stump burner, the combination f with. a blast pipe and a draft pipe, of means forsecuring said pipes directly and rigidly together, said pipes lying side by vside throughout the major' portion of their length, the lower ends of said pipes being outturned in the same direction and the lower end of the blast pipe lying in a substantially lower horizontal plane than the lower end of the draft pipe and the lower end of the blast pipe lying in substantially the same vertical plane as the lower end of 'the draft pipe, and a dirt supporting plate slidably mounted upon said plpes` and adapted to cover the opening in the ground into which said pipes may be inserted.

3. In a device of the character described,

the combination with a blast pipe, and a draft pipe, said pipes having outturned lower ends, the lower end of the blast pipe lying beneath the lower end of the draft pipe, of means for supporting said pipes in position in a hole formed in the ground, said means also sealing said hole.

Il. A device ofthe character described comprising a blast pipe and a draft pipe, said pipes lying substantially parallel to each other and being secured directly and rigidly to each other, said pipes being substantially loval in cross section, and a ydirt supporting plate through which said pipes pass. f

In testimon in presence o two Witnesses.

VALENTINE H. PICKENS. l/Vitnesses:

OMEN ETLEE, 'J2 W. MILLER.

whereof I affix my signature 

